Automobile rear bumper



. 1,582,980 W. J. GROTENHUIS AUTOMOBILE REAR BUMPER Filed Jan. '7, 1926 A manta;-

Patented May 4, 192 1 5 23 outrun STATES PATENT ounce.

WILLIAM J. GROTENHUIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T BIFLEX PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ACORPORA'IION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMOBILE REAR BUMPER.

Application filed January 7, 1925- Serial No. 79,726.

To all whom it nuzg concern: of the spare wheel with the ends of said Be it known that I, WVILLIAM J. Gnornnbumper sections extending laterally from I-IUIS, a citizen of the United States of the points of attachment to'protect the rear 50 America, and a resident of Chicago, in the fenders.

county of Cook and State of Illinois, have Referring now more in detail to the coninvented a certain new and useful Improvestructionof the bumper, it will be observed mentin Automobile Rear'Bumpers of which that the bumper sections 1, 1,are dropped thetollowing is a specification. or oiiset downwardly belowthe line of the 55 This invention relates to improvements in connecting or intermediate bar 2," so that automombile rear bumpersand more parthe protective or impact faces. of said ticularly to rear bumpers consisting of two bumper sections extend below the points of connected wing'or bumper members, adapted attachment and likewise inarlower position to be positioned on the'vehicle on either side than usual with respect to the spare tire 3. 60 of the spare wheel or tire carried at the rear, 'llhelpurpose of this downward olfset is two d t t d'lat rallyto protect the fenders fold; it brings the bumper-sections more into andportions adjacent thereto. the line of other bumpers and parts of other The object of the invention is to provide vehicles that may be met in collision, thus a bumper construction of adequate strength aiiording more complete protection, and 5 to afford the required protection against further it permits-the bumper sections to be collision damage, combined with a minimum extended downwardly beneath the lower of weight and with attractiveness of appearhalf circle of the spare wheel, thus afiording a greater protective area than is ordinarily A preferred embodiment ofthe invention possible in this style of bumper. 7 is disclosed in the accompanying drawings The features of the invention therefore i hi h; pertain more especially to the construction Figure 1 is a top'plan view of the bumper; of the bumper sections whereby the vertical Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation showofis'et feature is obtained without weakening ing the bumper with relation to the spare the structure. h l; Each bumper section 1s a counterpart of 30 Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View otthe the other and therefore a detailed descripend bumper sections as taken on line" 3'3 tion of one will sufiice. Two bars, 5 and 6,

of Figure 1; and of'spring steel form each bumper section,

.Fig'ure dis"an enlargeddetaili-view'takerrone being a continuous bar bent into trionline Hot Figure 1i angular shape, with the ends brought to- Consideringthe bumper in itsgeneral as gether for bolting connection with the end pects and" the] relationship o ffitsfpartsito oi"the'connectingbar 2, while'the other bar tlievehicleon which it i'sdnount'ed, the same" 6'isrelatively short and extends throughout consists'of two bumper sections 1, 1, conportion of the length of the continuous nected together by a single bar-2, oiiset'rearbar and is spaced vertically below it to form war'dly' from. the exposed or impact faces" an; area of increasedw dth throughout the ofsaid buniper' sections'to provide a': space? inner end of the bumper Sl36tlGl1 V The gen for the sparewlieel or tire'S, which projects oral triangular shape of the main bar thus from the rear of the vehicle body. The divides it intoa front end portion 5 ei tend- 9O bumper isattached tothe v'ehicle 'by means iug outwardl' in a general l ne with the otsuitable brackets 4e, at fiitedf' to thejends; connecting bar where it is bent into a U- 01 theyehicled raine members and'clanipedj sneped ioeps anningthe-oute extremity,

to tliebumper" sections 1, 1', on" either side and thence" inwardly and rearwar'dly' in a curved line to form the impact section 5, and finally bent at a right angle toward the connecting bar to form the transverse inner end portion 5 the extremity of this transverse portion being again bent at right angles to provide an end flange 5 bearing against the opposite end of the bar. A bolt 7 passes through these contacting ends, as well as through the connecting bar immediately behind, said connecting bar being e2:- tended outwardly beyond this point of connection and another bolt 8 extending through the rea end portion 5 and the connecting bar on the opposite side of the transverse portion 5 In addition to the shaping of the bar 5, as just described, it is also bent or offset in a vertical direction. Thus throughout the transverse portion 5 and the inner end portion of the impact section 5 the bar 5 and the connecting bar 2 are in the same plane, but as it approaches the outer end it curves downwardly, with the result that the end loop 5 is offset below the line of the connecting bar, as well as the points of attachment with the vehicle. In conformity with the curvature in the main bar, the auxiliary bar 6 is similarly offset so as to form a symmetrical area which converges as the bars approach each other, the auxiliary bar ter minating in flatwise contact with the main bar just short of the looped end, where it is secured by a clamp 9. On the opposite side of the looped end 5 the front bar 5 is again offset, this being an upward curvature which brings it back into the line of the connecting bar just before the attaching bracket- 4 is reached, as clearly shown in Figure To complete the structure the inner end of the auxiliary bar 6 is bent at right angles to conform to the main bar above, and then for a distance toward, but short of, the connecting bar 2, where it terminates in a broad Ushaped bend 6 curving upwardly and forwardly with its upper extremity lying in flatwise contact with the inner face of the transverse portion 5 of the main bar, it being necessary to olfset the bar throughout the U-shaped bend in order to bring the two surfaces in contact. The bars being thus brought into contact, they are securely fas tened by rivets 10, 10.

It will thus be observed that. in dropping the entire structure of the end sections below the points of attachment with the vehicle frame the advantage of increased protection is secured without decreasing the strength of the bumper or sacrificing its impact absorbing qualities as a result of the novel treatment of the bars.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bumper of the character described the combination of end bumper sections and an intermediate connecting bar, each of said sections comprising resilient bars bent to to said connecting bar, and an auxiliary bar secured at its ends to said main bar in- 'ardly from said U-shaped end portion and spaced vertically therefrom to provide an area of increased width.

3. In a bumper of the character described the combination of end bumper sections and an intermediate connecting bar, each of said sections comprising a main bar bent in substantially looped form to provide a U- shaped outer end portion, and an auxiliary bar secured at its ends to said main bar inwardly from said U-shaped end portion, the corresponding portions of said bars being vertically spaced to provide an area of increased width between their points of connection.

4-. In a bumper of the character described the combination of end bumper sections adapted for attachment to the frame of a v-hicle at their rear, and having rearwardly disposed impact receiving portions ofiset vertically from the portions thereof immediately adjacent the points of attach, ment with the vehicle, and a bar connecting said bumper sections together on a line with said points of attachment.

5. In a bumper of the character described the combination of bumper sections each consisting of a resilient bar bent to form a forwardly disposed attaching portion and a rearwardly disposed impact receiving portion, said bar being offset vertically throughout said impact receiving portion and an intermediate bar extending between said bumper sections and connected with the attaching portions thereof.

6. In a bumper of the character described the combination of end bumper sections and an intermediate connecting bar, each of said sections comprising resilient bars shaped to form a looped frame consisting of an impact receiving portion and a forwardly dis posed portion adapted for attachment to a vehicle, said impact receiving portion including bars spaced apart vertically to provide an area of increased width inwardly from the outer end of said section and one of said bars offset vertically with respect to its point of connection with the vehicle.

7. In a bumper of the character described the combination with a vehicle having a spare wheel mounted at the rear thereof, of

end sections mounted on the vehicle frame and extending outwardly substantially in the plane or" said Wheel, and each comprising resilient bars shaped to form a looped frame having an impact receiving portion consisting of two bars spaced apart vertically to provide an area of increased Width adjacent said Wheel, one oi. said bars being offset Vertically to dispose said impact receiving portion substantially below the point of attachment with the Vehicle.

Signed at Chicago 111., this 2nd day of January 1926.

WILLIAM J. GROTENHUIS. 

